‘Fabulous’ £350k community hub approved for Beeston

Officers at Leeds City Council have this week granted £355,000 to go towards setting up a community hub in Beeston Library, which would offer library services as well as access to housing and customer services, and job searching help and advice.

Hubs in Leeds are also a venue for pop up surgeries from organisations such as the National Careers Service, Department for Work and Pensions, Money buddies, Credit Unions and others.

Work on the site is set to include new customer service areas, a new reception counter, two new enquiry rooms, new library provision, a new staff office and new public PCs and an accessible customer toilet.

Beeston and Holbeck councillor Angela Gabriel (Lab) said: “It will be fabulous.

“The library in Beeston has always been well-used, but people have always had to go down to the community hub at Dewsbury Road in order to access services.

“If you live in Beeston, this will be a really good asset for people to come to and get any services they are able to get from a one stop centre.

“Once it is open, we will be able to have a good mix of things on in there.”

A report looking at the plans states: “There are clear links between poverty and inequality of outcomes in relation to education, employment, health and life expectancy and the accessible and integrated services proposition is focussed on ensuring that citizens and communities can access services in the simplest way for them whilst ensuring that the council and its partners response to help citizens and communities is integrated and joined up so that access is as equal as possible.

“The Beeston Community Hub is part of the Community Hub programme to

provide a modern safe environment that treats our customers with respect and encourages contact with Leeds City Council as an organisation that can offer help and assistance.”